


Bad Things Come in Three's

by timaeusTestified



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Cheating, Its gonna get real dark buckle up, Lyall Lupin needs to not, Marauders, Marauders' Era, Quidditch, Remus Lupin Needs a Hug, The Prank, it also gets real gay, its a dark gay angsty mess
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-22
Updated: 2018-06-29
Packaged: 2019-05-26 18:22:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,494
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15006674
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/timaeusTestified/pseuds/timaeusTestified
Summary: As the saying goes. Events unfold in the lives of the Marauders and harsh words, cruel actions, and even worse consequences follow. Bad things come in three's.





	1. The calm before the storm

   Sirius Black could hardly wait to begin his fifth year at Hogwarts. His trunk in one hand and his owl in the other as he waits on the platform for the train to arrive, standing several feet away from his family and the disapproving glare of his mother. He hopes to all hopes that he never sees that same look reflected in his own eyes. May the madness of that women never infect him or those he loves. Once the train arrives after what felt like an eternity he boards, rushing to the car he has shared with his fellow Marauders for the last four years past. It held a special place in their hearts, being the first place they had met and all. It was one of the places they felt truly connected. Being the first one there this time he takes a seat by the window and waits for his fellow troublemakers to join him.

 

   James Potter can feel the adrenaline pumping through his veins as he boards the Hogwarts Express after the extensive (and rather embarrassing) hugs and kisses from his parents. His full attention is now on the school of Witchcraft and Wizardry and how many times he can bring it into complete and total chaos before the year is over. He makes his way to his usual car and shoots a halfhearted glare in the direction of the smug Sirius he finds sitting in his window seat.

 

   "Sirius, I do believe, old chap, that you are in my seat," James says in a cheeky tone, trying not to burst with laughter at his own choice of words.

 

   "Oh, no, you see, Jaimie boy, this time around it is my seat because as you can see," Sirius says, gesturing widely to the entire car. "I got here first. The rules clearly dictate that 'if thou snooze, thou lose.'"

 

That was all it took to have the entire train compartment filled with their laughter. This year was going to be the best one yet, James could just tell. Especially if it's going to start out like this.

 

Remus Lupin stands with his parents as he waits for the train, squirming under the heat of the silver Sickle his father had pressed to the back of his neck, carefully hidden by his own hand, of course, couldn't let the misses find out about that. Remus heads directly to the Marauder's compartment, wanting to bask in the glow of his friends and make plans of mischief for the year. Once inside the car, he takes his seat by the window across from Sirius, to the obvious displeasure of James who pouts in his own seat beside Sirius.

 

   "Oh Prongs, do stop looking like a kicked puppy." He says, a grin on his face. "I promise Sirius will let you sit in the window seat on the way home, won't you Sirius?" He says, the question aimed at the Black heir seated across from him.

 

   "Oh, yes, absolutely," Sirius says with a wink, a cheeky grin ever present on his face.

 

James simply rolls his eyes and chuckles at the two. "Where's Pete?" He asks, looking up just in time to see their rotund friend coming into the compartment. "Here I am!" He says, out of breath from running as the train's final whistle blows.

 

Peter Pettigrew comes into the car and takes his seat beside Remus and begins to dispense the sweets he had brought from home just for his friends.

 

   "So, I know we're all ready for Hogwarts, but do you think Hogwarts is ready for us? James brewed a cauldron full of Polyjuice potion for us!" He says with all of the excitement of a kid in a sweets shop. James grins wickedly.

 

   "That I did, Wormtail. We have a whole new year ahead of us. I thought I would update our mischief making inventory."

 

And with that, the four boys were headed for Hogwarts, joy in their hearts as they recounted tails of their summer to one another, as their destination awaited them.

 

After the sorting ritual and dinner were out of the way the four Gryffindors headed upstairs to unpack and wind down for the night. It was then that the boys were able to get a good look at each other and realize all of the changes they had gone through over the last three months.

Sirius, for one, has grown taller, and a bit wider. His jawline and cheekbones sharper, and his eyes fiercer. Not to mention the small cluster of tattoos along his wrist or the piercings in his ear. His raven hair now coming to settle atop his shoulders in gentle curls and even his voice had gotten a little bit lower since the last time they had all been together like this.

James has gotten a bit bulkier as well but in a good way. His frame filling out nicely with muscle and his own eyes sparkling with something new. He held his head even higher and somehow looked more confident if that were even possible. He now stands just barely taller than Sirius, when he used to tower over the other so tremendously by nearly three inches. His skin was a warm tan from being outside almost all summer and practicing Quidditch. He would be damned if they didn't beat Slytherin this year. His dark hair that usually stood up in any direction it pleased has even seemed to have found some form of order or another and fell in a more attractive way that framed his face nicely.

Peter was still the ever constant rotund boy with a soft face, but even he had gotten a bit taller and a bit less round over the summer, his stalky build proving to be more than just chocolate frogs and butterbeer but some actual strength as well. His teeth finally starting to fit his head now and his light hair combed to the side to appear as though he doesn't just roll out of bed and into his robes every morning. He looked almost like a proper gentleman.

Remus now stands a half inch shorter than Sirius thanks to the others growth spurt. Despite the little lean muscle he has having filled in some of his gangly frame and a few more scars added to the mess of them that cover his body, the young werewolf has yet to change much like his friends. Which naturally makes him feel rather self-conscious and strikes the urge to get into bed as soon as he can.

Remus quickly changes into his pajamas and climbs into his four poster without so much as a goodnight before he closes the drapes around himself. Sirius on the other hand, takes his sweet time in getting ready for bed, not wanting to begin classes any earlier than he has to. He smiles at James when he gets close enough to truly compare their height and smirks.

 

   "I'm almost their, Potter. I'll catch up to you soon enough." He says, a smug smile on his face as he climbs into bed.

 

   James shakes his head as he gets into bed as well. "In your dreams, Padfoot."

 

Peter laughs lightly at their banter and gets into his own bed. "Goodnight." He says, putting out the light as he lays down and plunging the room into darkness.


	2. Beauty is Pain and Love is Death

It didn't take long. Just a few weeks. It was mid-October and the four Marauders had already landed themselves in detention. One week of detention for each of them and 50 points from Gryffindor is what letting a Cornish Pixie loose in the great hall had cost them. It was definitely worth it.  
Remus sits on the floor as he scrubs at the tiles, wondering just how he had let himself get roped into this one as he laughs to himself. Right. Because he is weak and can't say no to Sirius Black. He wasn't sure when this little crush began, but he knows that its like it has been there forever. A small seed planted in his very soul that was meant to one day blossom into love and he would be happy together with Sirius. 'As if.' He thinks to himself wryly. 'He has too much fun jumping from person to person and you are so damn boring.' He sighs and shakes the thoughts from his head. It wouldn't stop him from crushing and acting stupid.  
"Remus, are you almost done over there? We're going to head up to bed." James says from the doorway, the other two have already gone up the stairs. Remus had been so lost in his own head he had lost track of time.  
"Oh, sorry! I'll be right up." He calls from his spot, putting away his sponge and bucket before following James up to their dorm.  
Once in the dorm, the young werewolf carelessly throws off his clothes, too tired to care where they land. 'I hate cleaning the floors.' He thinks, silently hoping that Filch would abolish that punishment. The moon is only two nights away and he can feel is sucking the energy out of his bones, the full body aches becoming more and more powerful with each moment. Remus falls onto his bed, groaning softly as he lands. Sirius tuts and shakes his head as he picks up The discarded clothes and folds them neatly before setting them on top of Remus's trunk at the end of his bed.  
"Poor thing..." James says softly, walking over and covering Remus with a blanket. "Don't worry, Rem. We will get you stuffed full of tea and chocolate first thing in the morning."  
That earned a soft chuckle from the boy and a muttered, "Thank you." Before Remus falls into a deep slumber. James and Sirius return to their own beds and fall asleep soon after. 

In the morning, Remus couldn't move. No matter how hard he willed his body to get up and start the day he just couldn't do it. It was going to be a particularly hard moon. The last thing he remembers is the concerned voice of Peter as his world fades back to black. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The next face that Remus sees belongs to none other than Sirius Black. Remus slowly sits up in his bed, a throbbing headache now plaguing him.  
"Bloody- What time is it? Why are you looking at me like that?" He asks, hoping he hadn't missed too much of the day. 

"Its time for lessons to start, you slept through them all yesterday but James, Pete and I got all of your notes and work for you." 

Remus leaps out of the bed and starts to throw on his clothes, ignoring how fast the room is spinning.  
"Remus, sit down," Sirius says firmly, taking his friend by the shoulders and guiding him to sit on the bed. "You look like you're going pass out."  
"I can't stay here Sirius, I have to get to class!" Remus says, slightly more panicked now.  
"No. You don't. I care about you too much to let you go and do that when your this ill. You're lucky I haven't gotten Poppy up here yet."  
Remus reluctantly lays back down, his body too tired and too achy to bothered with staying upright any longer.  
"Fine, fine, you win, just stay away so you don't get sick too."  
"Absolutely not, I refuse to leave you alone in case you need me. I have some tea made for you on your bed table and some chocolate from Honeydukes on its way, and some of your books are sitting beside your tea if you feel up to it later." He says, grabbing the blanket and tucking the werewolf into bed, and if the werewolf in question weren't so sick it would've made the pair laugh.  
"I don't know what I did to deserve you..." Remus says softly, closing his eyes. "I love you." He murmurs.  
Sirius is taken aback and he stares in silence for a few long moments blushing profusely. Once he's almost certain that the other is asleep he leans over and kisses Remus's forehead gently.  
"I love you too." He whispers before quietly walking out of the dorm to rejoin the other two Marauders in their mischief-making.  
Remus was definitely not asleep. 

\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
As it turns out, Remus had had a muggle case of influenza. He was luckily better within the week but that moon had been hard and miserable for the quartet. Remus was let out of the hospital wing that Sunday evening, and to his relief allowed to attend classes the next day. He was also able to spend his spare time dwelling over what he had said to Sirius and what Sirius had said back and he firmly decided that he would confront Sirius about it. Eventually. Maybe. Its Friday night and he is sitting in the library, rereading the same page over and over again because all he can think about is Sirius Black. Then as if thinking about him so hard had summoned him, in walked Sirius with his broom in hand. He approaches the table and Remus begins to fidget with the hem of his threadbare grey sweater.  
"Sirius, can I talk to you for a moment?" He blurts out, taking himself and the other by surprise.  
"Oh, yeah, of course," Sirius says with a kind smile.  
"I heard you," Remus says, looking up at Sirius.  
"What do you mean, Moony?" The older boy asks, confused.  
"The other day when I was sick. I heard you." He says, trying to keep himself calm and struggling greatly.  
A blush creeps onto Sirius's face. "Oh... That, well, I.. I do." He says shrugging. "You're sweet and funny, and just as much of a troublemaker as the rest of us. You're absolutely brilliant, and your smile means everything to me. How could I not love you?"  
Remus is stricken dumb by the sudden proclamation and takes several moments to process what he's hearing before he speaks. "I... What I mean to- I think that since we both- we should-"  
"We should be boyfriends? I agree. Let's get up to the dorm now, though, its pretty late and you're going to study yourself to death." He says, carefully taking the hand of the blushing Remus and leading him back to their dorm. Remus can't help but think he's dreaming until he actually falls asleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> But all good things have there end.


	3. The Bite is Worse than the Bark

James Potter had his world flipped upside down. He caught two of his best friends snogging in their dorm the night before they would be going home for the holidays. He stands there, stunned and staring at the two equally surprised figures draped in each other on Sirius's bed.  
"James, I can explain." Sirius begins.  
"Explain? What's there to explain, Padfoot? Did you trip and snog Remus on accident?" He asks sharply.  
Remus carefully untangles himself from Sirius. "James, I..."  
"Remus, I'm not angry. Well, I am angry. A little." James says, sighing and running his hands through his hair. "Why didn't you guys tell me? I have a bet going with Evans." He says with a grin.  
"You prat," Remus says affectionately, laughing lightly.  
Sirius grins. "So you don't hate us?"  
James shakes his head. "I could never, Sirius. I'm happy for you both."  
The happy couple relaxes and decides then and there to stop sneaking about.  
Well, one of them does.  
\-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
James is happy to see his friends happy and it only further motivates him to get together with Lily Evans. He spends the first three weeks back from break trying to woo her to no avail. He has been hexed more times than he can count and his confidence is definitely shaken. He comes up to the dorm, sulking and with pink hair.  
"I take it plan 389 didn't work?" Sirius says cheekily, the only other occupant of the room at the moment.  
"No, no, it did not, Pads. I don't think I can do it anymore." James says with a sigh, sitting on his bed. "I just don't know what to do anymore."  
Sirius gives a small shrug. "Well, you could always try to make her jealous." He suggests. "Date someone else, or a few someone else's, and see if she gets jealous."  
James is practically beaming. "Sirius you are absolutely brilliant."  
"I know. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have a hot date in the astronomy tower." Sirius says before leaving quickly.  
A few moments later Remus enters the room, humming happily to himself.

"Oh dear, she really got you good this time. Come here and let me see if j can fix it." He says upon seeing the state of James's hair.  
"Thanks, Moony. Are you back already? I thought you'd still be in the astronomy tower." He says, walking over to stand in front of Remus.  
"Why would I be in the astronomy tower?" Remus asks, confused.  
James pales slight and he just shrugs. "I don't know, I thought that's where you had been."  
"No, I was just returning some of my books." He says before trying to turn James's hair back to its natural color. He manages a brown-ish hue but it just looks like dirty bubblegum for almost four days.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
James starts to notice things after that. He starts to notice how little time Sirius spends in the dorm with them and how when he comes back he smells like perfume. He starts to notice the apologetic way Remus starts to hold himself, as though he were a kicked puppy. He starts to notice the empty bottles beneath Sirius's bed and new scars showing up on Remus that can't be explained away by the moon. He notices it all but doesn't say a word. It isn't his business. Until it is. It becomes his business when the yelling starts. When the fighting starts. When the bruises start. He's stepped between the two of them about a dozen times too many while Sirius was too drunk to control his famous Black temper and Remus was shouting accusations that he already knew were true. The next morning Sirius wouldn't remember anything but a blur or snippets of the fight and he would apologize and Remus would forgive him. It was a cycle that had no end.

James approaches Remus in their dorm, the other boy studying for their upcoming exam. He looked peaceful for the first time in almost two months. James carefully sits on the edge of his bed and smiles a little. 

"Hey, Rem. Sorry to interrupt your studying, but I think we need to have a talk." James says softly.  
Remus looks up from his book and nods a little. "A talk about what, James?"  
"About you and Sirius," James says, looking away from the other. "You two need to talk. I know you like to pretend nothing happened after- but its just not going to solve anything."  
Remus lets out a long sigh and pinches the bridge of his nose. "James, I understand your concern, but really, I have everything under control."  
James knew he couldn't talk Remus into anything, so he moves on to look for Sirius. He finds his long-haired companion in the courtyard sitting under a tree with a Ravenclaw prefect who moves when James comes over, intimidated by the speed and brashness of his approach. "Padfoot, we need to talk."  
Sirius smiles up at his friend and stands. "Yeah? What's going on?"  
James huffs. "What has gotten into you lately, mate? I thought you liked Remus, and the drinking- I.. I feel like I'm losing you."  
Sirius sighs and steps a little closer, keeping his eyes and voice down. "It's my parents, and apparently I am not welcome home if I don't start showing some 'true Black' behavior."  
James nods slowly. "I'm sorry mate." He says, putting a hand on Sirius's shoulder. "You know that if you ever need anything, my parents and I would be happy to have you."  
Sirius smiles a little. "Thanks, mate. You really are the best, and about Remus, there's nothing to worry about anymore. We're good."  
James relaxes at that, assured by his best friends words. "Alright, if you say so. Do you want to come to help me with a prank I've been planing?"  
Sirius grins. "I thought you'd never ask. What are we doing?" He asks, already walking away with James.  
"We're going to charm all of the desks in the school to scream whenever they're opened," James tells him, going farther into the plan as they head up to their dorm to fill the other two Marauders in on their latest master plan.  
\----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  
Two weeks of detention later the four boys are laughing and pranking and studying like the previous few months were nothing more than a bad dream, but they would be nothing compared to the nightmare that lies just ahead. As summer draws near, so does a war, and tensions everywhere are high.

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, so the first chapter is just the tip of the iceberg and even though nothing really happened as I said the story has just barely begun.


End file.
